California love! To ring in 2020, we traveled to Los Angeles to soak in some sun (but that failed miserably because it was surprisingly cold) and reset for the new year. We found the city mostly to ourselves since apparently there is a mass exodus for the holidays. That was fine by us as we didn’t have to fight the traffic.
See below for my recommendations and listen in to Episode 53 for more details:
- Where to Eat and Drink
- Brunch: The Cabana Cafe
- Dinner: Ysabel
- Bars: The BLVD at the Beverly Wilshire
- The Vanderpump Empire: SUR, Pump, TomTom, Villa Blanca
- Where to Shop
- Saint Laurent Rive Droite
- ba&sh
- Things to Do
- LACMA
- Griffith Observatory / Hike
Where to Eat and Drink:
The Cabana Café at the Beverly Hills Hotel – This was by far our best brunch. The hotel is exactly how you would imagine it, complete with Hollywood glamour. It houses secret little hideaway spots perfect for sipping cocktails. The Cabana Café itself is gorgeous. We spent a few hours here drinking in the scene.
Ysabel – This is the quintessential LA vibe I was hoping for. Beautiful atmosphere, indoor/outdoor seating and fantastic food.
The BLVD at the Beverly Wilshire – It wouldn’t be a trip to LA without a Pretty Woman moment. The hotel is worth stopping by for a quick glance and drinks at The BLVD provide for perfect people watching.
The Vanderpump Empire – I’m a reality fan, so of course we had to hit up all of Lisa Vanderpump’s locations. While they aren’t the classiest, it’s definitely worth seeing where all your favorite moments have happened. Chances are you’ll run into at least one cast member. For us, it was Guillermo.
Where to Shop:
Saint Laurent Rive Droite – I honestly didn’t know this existed until we happened upon it on Rodeo Drive. It’s only one of two locations in the world (the other being in Paris). It offers limited edition and special items not shown in other stores. The collection ranges from matches to pencils to pet bowls to RTW. They also feature regular line items and receive them earlier than other YSL stores.
ba&sh – The store is a quick hop over from Rodeo and they offer a beautiful selection of RTW. The staff is incredibly helpful and friendly. If you’re lucky enough to catch them during a sale, you can scoop up some fantastic items at a great price.
Things to Do:
LACMA – The streetlight installation is a staple of the LA cityscape. Just don’t plan on capturing a picture by yourself surrounded by the streetlights. The installation is crawling with people.
Griffith Observatory – Perched high above the city, the observatory provides the perfect opportunity to take in the expansiveness of LA as well as the infamous Hollywood sign. My recommendation would be to take a car ride up and hike down the East or West Observatory Trails to The Trails Café.
